Papers

We present a systematic workflow for the design of one-dimensional photonic crystal nanobeam cavities with non-zero cavity lengths. By simultaneously optimizing the lattice periodicity, air-hole geometry, and cavity length, our approach enables precise control of optical confinement while mitigating radiative losses and linewidth broadening effects. The method is further extended to the design of crossed nanobeam cavities with both matching and mismatched resonance frequencies. This strategy significantly reduces the need for extensive parameter sweeps, providing an efficient route toward optimized cavity designs for integrated quantum photonic applications. Moreover, the resulting structures are inherently compatible with the integration of single-photon emitters.

Preparing low-energy states of many-body Hamiltonians is a central challenge in quantum computing, quantum complexity, and condensed matter physics. Existing approaches often get trapped in suboptimal states such as high-energy eigenstates or, more generally, low-variance states that resist further energy reduction. In this work, we explore a different perspective: instead of optimizing with respect to a single Hamiltonian, we leverage the fact that many systems admit families of Hamiltonians that share similar low-energy subspaces but differ at higher energies. We show that this redundancy can be turned into an algorithmic resource by establishing an energy-based uncertainty principle, which implies that these Hamiltonians cannot simultaneously admit low-variance states at higher energies. This suggests a simple strategy of alternating energy-lowering steps across such Hamiltonians, which we investigate numerically on several models. We also introduce a sparse variant where the uncertainty principle yields quadratically larger variance at higher energies, leading to more pronounced energy change. Overall, this work suggests a range of open questions at the interface of random matrix theory, local Hamiltonians and low-energy state preparation, aimed at understanding when such approaches are practical and how they can be analyzed rigorously.

We investigate the non-adiabatic quantum dynamics of ultralong-range Rydberg molecules using a vibronically coupled two-channel treatment. The two-channels are composed of coupled trilobite and butterfly electronic states, formed as a result of $S$-wave and $P$-wave scattering of high angular momentum Rydberg electrons with perturbing ground state atoms. Within the Born-Oppenheimer treatment, the $P$-wave scattering channel introduces an adiabatic decay pathway that affects the stability and lifetimes of trilobite states. Our numerical results show that the vibronic coupling is dependent on the principal quantum number $n$, and for certain $n$ there is non-adiabatic stabilization against internal molecular decay, facilitating previously studied dynamical effects in pure trilobite molecules. Apart from the internal diffraction effect caused by the backscattering of vibrational wavepackets from the trilobite potential, we also observe interesting multi-well tunneling effects during low-energy oscillations for a range of $n$-values. Our work serves to highlight that the unique vibrational coordinate dependent electronic structure of these polar molecules, along with high level densities, promise many exciting dynamical effects.

We present a quantum field theoretic formulation of acoustoelectric interactions in waveguide-like systems of arbitrary cross-section. Building on an open quantum systems approach, we derive a unified description of plasmon-phonon coupling that incorporates dissipation, noise, and the influence of drift currents. Our analysis captures both bulk and surface plasmon modes, highlighting how drift currents Doppler-shift plasmonic resonances and reshape the phonon noise spectrum. The resulting Heisenberg-Langevin equations yield closed-form expressions for frequency shifts, gain, and noise power spectra, enabling direct evaluation of performance metrics such as the noise factor in acoustoelectric amplifiers and oscillators. In the appropriate limits, this framework reproduces known results while extending them to complex geometries.

Compact, customizable, non-magnetic vacuum systems are a key requirement for many field applications of quantum technology based on cold atoms. We report on the development and construction of a compact, low-cost ultra-high vacuum compatible cell using the glass-ceramic MACOR. The cell offers a CF flange connection to commercial vacuum technology, as well as high numerical aperture viewports for precision optical measurements. The presented technology shows stable vacuum pressures of $< 1 \cdot 10^{-10}$ mbar for more than a year since the implementation into the vacuum system of a quantum gas experiment, further proving suitability for general quantum technology applications.

We develop a Bohmian analysis of a two-dimensional ghost Hamiltonian and its mapping to the degenerate Pais-Uhlenbeck model. Using Gaussian wavepackets, we derive the corresponding guidance equations, the centre and width evolution, and the quantum potential. We use these quantities to characterise bounded, quasi-semiclassical, spiral, and runaway regimes. The Bohmian trajectories provide a direct dynamical diagnostic of coherence, packet deformation, and quantum-classical separation. We then compare a bi-Hamiltonian pair consisting of the ghost Hamiltonian and a classically equivalent alternative formulation. While the two descriptions produce identical classical trajectories, they lead to different Bohmian trajectories and different quantum potentials evaluated along those trajectories. This demonstrates that classical equivalence need not extend to Bohmian quantum dynamics and identifies a concrete quantum ambiguity in the degenerate higher-derivative system.

The SU(2) Wigner function represents a quantum state of a spin-$J$ as a real-valued function on the surface of a 2-sphere. For an ensemble of $N$ spin-1/2 particles, this representation is useful when the dynamics is restricted to a single SU(2) irrep, e.g., the symmetric subspace with $J=N/2$. Physically relevant noise sources tend to be local, such as spontaneous emission, depolarizing, and incoherent optical pumping, all of which transfer the state outside of the initial irrep, and as such the SU(2) Wigner function is no longer a useful representation. In this work, we address this issue by encoding a noisy spin ensemble in an SU(3) irrep, and evaluating the SU(3) Wigner function for that irrep. We find that physical constraints enforced by the noise eliminate all but three real parameters from the input to the Wigner function, which can then be interpreted as a polar, azimuthal, and radial component. This interpretation leads us to refer to the resulting Wigner function as the solid spin Wigner function, visualized on a solid ball rather than a hollow sphere.

Bosonic codes offer hardware-efficient approaches to logical qubit construction and hosted the first demonstration of beyond-break even logical quantum memory. However, such accomplishments were done for idling information, and realization of fault-tolerant logical operations remains a critical bottleneck for universal quantum computation in scaled systems. Error-transparent (ET) gates offer an avenue to resolve this issue, but experimental demonstrations have been limited to phase gates. Here, we introduce a framework based on dynamic encoding subspaces that enables simple linear drives to accomplish universal gates that are error semi-transparent (EsT) to oscillator photon loss. With an EsT logical gate set of {X, H, T}, we observe a five-fold reduction in infidelity conditioned on photon loss, demonstrate extended active-manipulation lifetimes with quantum error correction, and construct a composite EsT non-Clifford operation using a sequence of eight gates from the set. Our approach is compatible with methods for detectable ancilla errors, offering an approach to error-mitigated universal control of bosonic logical qubits with the standard quantum control toolkit.

Quantum heat engines provide attractive means in quantum thermodynamics for studying the fundamentals of the flow of heat and work. Previous experimental implementations of heat engines operating at the level of a few excitation quanta have utilized external driving, which has made the observation of the produced work challenging. Conversely, autonomous quantum heat engines only require a flow of heat to operate and generate work. However, autonomous quantum heat engines have not yet been experimentally demonstrated in any system despite numerous theoretical investigations. Here, we experimentally realize an autonomous quantum heat engine based on superconducting circuits. We construct the engine circuit implementing an approximate Otto cycle by coupling two superconducting resonators with a superconducting quantum interference device, and coupling this system to spectrally filtered hot and cold reservoirs. By varying the experimental conditions, we observe coherent microwave power generation arising from the internal dynamics of the system driven only by the thermal reservoirs. Our results validate previous theoretical predictions for this circuit and pave the way for detailed studies of quantum effects in heat engines and for using heat-generated coherent microwaves in circuit quantum electrodynamics.

Identifying scalable materials systems that exhibit quantum behavior is a central challenge in quantum information science. Point defects in certain wide-bandgap semiconductors are promising in this regard due to the maturity of semiconductor manufacturing and ion implantation technology. Single erbium defect centers in 4H-SiC are examples of such defects that provide access to discrete defect-induced electron energy levels within the bulk material bandgap, which can be utilized for a variety of quantum technologies, such as single-photon emission for secure communication and distributed quantum computing. This work presents a first-principles study of erbium point defects in 4H-SiC using density functional theory. These results provide materials-level support for the development of Er point defects in 4H-SiC as a scalable platform for quantum devices, helping to bridge the gap between quantum physics and the practical realization of quantum networks.

We systematically compare Quantum Liang Information Flow (QLIF) a recently proposed causal information measure with the out-of-time-order correlator (OTOC) as diagnostics of quantum chaos in the one-dimensional mixed-field Ising chain. Using exact diagonalization and MPS-TEBD, we show that the early-time power-law growth and wavefront propagation velocity of QLIF are identical for integrable and chaotic parameters, being controlled solely by the local Hamiltonian structure. The QLIF signal strength depends sensitively on the initial state, spanning four orders of magnitude across product states, ground state eigenstate evolution, and quantum quench protocols. We identify the time-integrated QLIF as a late-time chaos diagnostic: it grows linearly (monotonically) in chaotic systems, reflecting irreversible thermalization, while saturating or oscillating in integrable systems, reflecting reversible quasiparticle dynamics. These findings establish QLIF as a complementary probe to OTOC, with distinct optimal operating regimes.

Extreme-value fluctuations at quantum critical points remain poorly understood in the presence of strong correlations and openness. At the integer quantum Hall transition in the open Chalker–Coddington network, we show that the maximal wave-function amplitude separates into a global gain and an intrinsic extreme component, $|\psi|_{\max}=A\,|\tilde{\psi}|_{\max}$. We introduce extreme-moment scaling for $|\psi|_{\max}$ and observe an approximately parabolic exponent function $\tau_{\max}(q)$ over moderate $q$, while $\ln|\psi|_{\max}$ displays an almost Gaussian bulk over the studied sizes. The gain factor is close to log-normal and largely controls the raw extremes. Gain normalization reorganizes the statistics: $\tilde{\tau}_{\max}(q)$ changes qualitatively and $|\tilde{\psi}|_{\max}$ does not support a single-parameter generalized extreme-value collapse under standard centering/scaling in the accessible size window. Extreme observables thus provide a robust probe of correlated criticality in open quantum systems.

We propose a theoretical model of a fully functional nonreciprocal quantum battery inspired by the architecture of bacterial light-harvesting complexes. We assign functional roles to collective quantum optical subradiant and superradiant states and introduce a unimodal cavity to assist storage. The transition rates are obtained from an effective non-Hermitian Hamiltonian, tailored to the battery geometry which are fed into a master equation to unravel the time evolution. We investigate the complete thermodynamic performance including storage, leakage, ergotropy, work extraction, flux, and power. We observe optimization at different ring sizes, each peaking at its specific energetic function. Strong coupling between the ring and central system enhances the battery's ability to store energy but reduces the ability of power output. The ergotropy exceeds capacity and approaches it linearly with increasing system size, with an optimal small-size regime that disappears under strong coupling.

Non-Gaussian bosonic states are ubiquitous in interacting light–matter systems, many-body platforms, and relativistic quantum field settings, but their quantitative characterization is hindered by the infinite-dimensional Hilbert space and by the poor scalability of Fock-space truncation methods. We introduce an exact finite-manifold encoding for states supported on a finite span of Gaussian branches, enabling the use of standard finite-dimensional quantum-information tools directly on an effective density matrix whose entries are determined by Gaussian overlaps. As demonstrations, we obtain closed-form and numerically stable evaluations of entropies and relative-entropy non-Gaussianity, and derive an analytic expression for the bipartite entanglement negativity of arbitrary multimode two-branch Gaussian superpositions, including a minimal which-branch dephasing model. Our framework provides a practical bridge between experimentally accessible continuous-variable resources (e.g., cat-like and measurement-conditioned states) and discrete-variable information measures, with immediate applications to benchmarking non-Gaussian resources in several quantum technology platforms.

Discrete circular convolution over $\mathbb{Z}/N\mathbb{Z}$ is a linear operator and can be implemented on quantum hardware within the linear-combination-of-unitaries (LCU) framework. In this work, we make this connection explicit through an asymmetric-LCU formulation: circular convolution is the postselected block of a circuit whose controlled-shift unitary is modular addition on computational-basis states. The asymmetry is essential: fixing the postselection state to the uniform state $|u\rangle$ while supplying the kernel state $|\mathbf{b}\rangle$ as the input ancilla naturally preserves the complex coefficients $b_i$ within the block, whereas a symmetric overlap would yield $|b_i|^2$ weights and erase their phases. Accordingly, when $|\mathbf{a}\rangle$ and $|\mathbf{b}\rangle$ are supplied by upstream quantum routines, the convolution subroutine requires only the fixed uncompute $\mathrm{PREP}_u^\dagger$, completely avoiding the need for a kernel-dependent inverse preparation $\mathrm{PREP}_b^\dagger$. We then introduce a reversal matrix $J_n=X^{\otimes n}$ and define reflected shifts $\widetilde{L}_{i,n}=L_{i,n}J_n$. This symmetrization yields a recursive operator algebra for convolution that is natively compatible with LCU/block-encoding workflows. The resulting symmetrized operator differs from circular convolution only by one known input-side $J_n$ layer. Crucially, for real-valued kernels, the resulting operator $H_n(\mathbf{b})=\sum_i b_i\widetilde{L}_{i,n}$ is Hermitian, providing a direct Hermitian interface for quantum singular value transformation (QSVT) and related spectral transformations. Based on this framework, we present a transparent recursive construction, paired with an exactly equivalent optimized bitwise compilation of the same $\mathrm{SELECT}$ block. Finally, we evaluate implementation trade-offs and resource scaling under explicit cost-model conventions.

We study the error-correction properties of multi-mode Fock-state codes under amplitude-damping (AD) noise, focusing on the asymptotic regime in which the total excitation of the code states grows without limit and the number of photon losses induced by the noise scales linearly with it. In this setting, existing code families, which correct only sublinearly many photon losses, do not protect against amplitude-damping (AD) noise with a constant loss parameter. As our main result, we address this gap by constructing asymptotically good Fock-state codes relying on random classical codes in the discrete simplex. Unlike many standard constructions of random quantum codes, our construction introduces randomness through the underlying classical indexing structure. Randomization also enables another desirable feature: bounded per-mode occupancy, which limits the number of photons in any individual mode and thereby increases the coherence lifetime of the code states. Finally, via a relation between Fock-state codes and permutation-invariant codes, our results also yield asymptotically good families of qudit permutation-invariant codes as well as codes in monolithic nuclear state spaces.

Digital signatures are one of the security cornerstones of the current information age. Compared with classical digital signatures based on computational complexity, quantum digital signatures (QDS) theoretically guarantee data integrity, authenticity, and non-repudiation by quantum mechanics, showing great potential for development in cryptography and thus attracting widespread attention. However, the performance of existing QDS systems are still limited in rate and distance. Here we report the first experimental demonstration of twin-field QDS (TF-QDS) using a GHz system. We achieve a maximum transmission distance of 504 km fiber spools for both single-bit and multi-bit schemes, surpassing all existing state-of-the-art QDS experiments more than 200 km. Furthermore, by combining the one-time universal hash method, we achieve a maximum signature rate of 21.1 times per second for a 1 Mbit file over fiber distances up to 302 km. In this work, the signature rates of both single-bit scheme and multi-bit scheme are more than two orders of magnitude higher than that of previous works at similar distance. Our work provides a new record for long-distance and high-rate QDS, representing a significant step in the development of QDS.

The next frontier in device-independent quantum information lies in the certification of scalable and parallel quantum resources, which underpin advanced quantum technologies. We put forth a simultaneous self-testing framework for maximally entangled two-qudit state of local dimension $m_*=2^{\lfloor n/2 \rfloor}$ (equivalently $\lfloor n/2 \rfloor$ copies of maximally entangled two-qubit pairs), together with $n$ numbers of anti-commuting observables on one side. To this end, we employ an $n$-settings Bell inequality comprising two space-like separated observers, Alice and Bob, having $2^{n-1}$ and $n$ number of measurement settings, respectively. We derive the local ontic bound of this inequality and, crucially, employ the Sum-of-Squares decomposition to determine the optimal quantum bound without presupposing the dimension of the state or observables. We then establish that any physical realisation achieving the maximal quantum violation must, up to local isometries and complex conjugation, correspond to a reference strategy consisting of a maximally entangled state of local dimension of at least $2^{\lfloor n/2 \rfloor}$ and local observables forming an irreducible representation of the Clifford algebra. This construction thereby demonstrates that the minimal dimension compatible with $n$ mutually anticommuting observables is naturally self-tested by the maximal violation of the proposed Bell functional. Finally, we analyse the robustness of the protocol by establishing quantitative bounds relating deviations in the observed Bell value to the fidelity between the realised and the ideal strategies. Our results thus provide a scalable, dimension-independent route for the certification of high-dimensional entanglement and Clifford measurements in a fully device-independent framework.

We report a laboratory measurement of how impurities shift Coulomb crystallization in a strongly interacting ionic system. This is achieved by using laser cooled Ca$^+$ crystals doped with a controlled number of Xe$^{12+}$ highly charged ions. We find that the crystallization threshold is unchanged at low impurity concentration, but shows a clear crossover once the impurity content becomes sufficiently large, after which the shift grows approximately linearly. Complementary measurements reveal that this global effect originates from a local pinning of the crystal around the impurities. We further show how the measured shift could impact standard models of crystallization in white dwarfs and neutron stars. Our results provide an experimental route to incorporating impurity effects into models of multicomponent Coulomb matter, relevant to stellar crystallization and strongly coupled plasmas.

We measure event-by-event discrete changes in the net electric charge of an optically levitated silica microsphere arising from individual radioactive decays within the sphere, in coincidence with energy depositions in a nearby scintillation detector. The net charge of the levitated sphere is continuously monitored by measuring its driven response to an oscillating electric field, allowing individual charge-change events to be resolved on millisecond timescales with precision below an elementary charge. Simultaneously, $\alpha$ and $\beta$ particles emitted during decays of implanted $^{212}$Pb and its daughters are detected using a scintillator read out with an array of silicon photomultipliers. By correlating reconstructed charge-change times with the scintillator response, we can directly attribute abrupt changes in the sphere's net charge to individual nuclear decays, and identify differences in the distribution of charges ejected for $\alpha$ and $\beta$ decays. These results establish a new approach for studying low energy charged particles emitted by radioactive decays at the single-decay level, and identify showers of radiogenically produced low-energy electrons emitted by $\alpha$-decaying radon daughters implanted near solid surfaces.

Photonic quantum processors naturally produce intrinsically stochastic measurement outcomes, offering a hardware-native source of structured randomness that can be exploited during machine-learning training. Here we introduce Photonic Quantum-Enhanced Knowledge Distillation (PQKD), a hybrid quantum photonic–classical framework in which a programmable photonic circuit generates a compact conditioning signal that constrains and guides a parameter-efficient student network during distillation from a high-capacity teacher. PQKD replaces fully trainable convolutional kernels with dictionary convolutions: each layer learns only a small set of shared spatial basis filters, while sample-dependent channel-mixing weights are derived from shot-limited photonic features and mapped through a fixed linear transform. Training alternates between standard gradient-based optimisation of the student and sampling-robust, gradient-free updates of photonic parameters, avoiding differentiation through photonic hardware. Across MNIST, Fashion-MNIST and CIFAR-10, PQKD traces a controllable compression–accuracy frontier, remaining close to teacher performance on simpler benchmarks under aggressive convolutional compression. Performance degrades predictably with finite sampling, consistent with shot-noise scaling, and exponential moving-average feature smoothing suppresses high-frequency shot-noise fluctuations, extending the practical operating regime at moderate shot budgets.

Dipolar molecules in optical traps are a versatile platform for studying many-body phases of quantum matter in the presence of strong and long-range interactions. The dipolar interactions in such setups can be enabled by microwave driving opposite parity rotational levels of the molecules. We find that the regime where the $N=0,J=1/2,F=1$ state is coupled to the $N=1,J=3/2,F=2$ manifold with circularly polarized microwaves, in the presence of a small magnetic field, can lead to spin-1 quantum magnetic Hamiltonians, due to the decoupling between electron spin and orbit, that is unique to the $^2\Sigma$ ground state molecules. We demonstrate that in one dimension, the phase diagram associated with this Hamiltonian, computed via tensor network methods, hosts the celebrated Haldane phase. We find that the Haldane phase persists even in the presence of SU(3) correction terms that break the SU(2) algebra of the Hamiltonian. We discuss the feasibility of the proposed scheme for $^2\Sigma$ molecules with large rotational constants such as the directly laser cooled molecule MgF for future experiments.

The current definition of the SI second is based on the 133Cs ground-state hyperfine transition in the microwave domain, with the most accurate realizations achieving fractional frequency uncertainties of about (1-2)E16. In contrast, state-of-the-art optical clocks now demonstrate estimated uncertainties two to three orders of magnitude lower, prompting discussion on the redefinition of the SI second. Several options for the new definition have been proposed, one of which introduces a constant N defined as the weighted geometric mean of multiple clock transition frequencies. In this work, we investigate how N can be practically realized when not all defining transitions are available and when multiple optical clocks operate with different performance levels and non-overlapping uptimes. We consider two complementary realization and reconstruction routes. One route is based on geometric-mean combinations, and the other is based on arithmetic-mean combinations. We derive consistent uncertainty expressions that incorporate both measurement uncertainties and, where required, uncertainties of recommended frequencies or frequency ratios. Using analytic three-transition case studies, we identify the parameter regimes in which each route yields a lower total uncertainty and provide explicit conditions for the crossover between them. We further address the dominant role of dead time when a hydrogen maser serves as a flywheel reference by introducing a time-segmented, time-weighted combination based on coefficient and covariance matrices, which accounts for overlapping operation and correlations across measurement intervals. Our findings offer practical guidance for minimizing total uncertainty in multi-clock realizations and contribute to ongoing efforts toward redefining the SI second.

We present a complete protocol for cavity-free quantum networking based on collective enhancement in Rydberg atom ensembles. The scheme combines Rydberg blockade, collectively enhanced light–matter coupling, and phase-matched directional emission to remove the need for optical cavities while retaining efficiencies comparable to cavity-assisted interfaces. The protocol proceeds in three steps: (i)~local control–ensemble entanglement generated by Rydberg blockade with gate fidelity $F_{\mathrm{gate}}\approx 99.93\%$; (ii)~atom–photon conversion through Raman emission from an oblate spheroidal ensemble, yielding directional emission efficiency $\eta_{\mathrm{dir}}\approx 73\%$ and single-node efficiency $\eta_{\mathrm{node}}\approx 40\%$; and (iii)~remote atom–atom entanglement via Hong–Ou–Mandel interference, producing Bell states with fidelity $F>97.5\%$. Incorporating quantum memories allows up to $M\approx 100$ retry attempts within a coherence time $T_2>100\,\mu\mathrm{s}$, enabling entanglement generation rates of approximately $4\,\mathrm{kHz}$ over a 20~km separation. Collectively enhanced Rydberg ensembles thus provide a practical, cavity-free interface for scalable distributed quantum computing and secure quantum communication.

Quantum computing provides a feasible multi-layered security challenge to classical blockchain networks. Quantum blockchains that rely on quantum key distribution (QKD) to establish secure channels can address this feasible threat. Whereas, there are still architecture limitations to practical security resulted in the measurement devices while implementing the QKD-secured blockchains in physical layer. This paper presents a quantum-classical hybrid architecture in a distributed blockchain to address the connectivity and distance limitations of the blockchain-embedded quantum networks. A decoupled architecture is designed felicitously so that it pairs a linearly scalable measurement-device-independent (MDI) physical layer with a decentralized consensus. It can optimize the complexity of infrastructure from quadratic to linear scaling, ascribed to leveraging the twin-field (TF) QKD protocol with the MDI-structurized star topology. Additionally, the dual-key stratification strategy transforms symmetric information-theoretic security into publicly auditable forward-secret blockchain evidence. This architecture can integrate the exact information-theoretic security (ITS) with distributed consensus mechanisms, allowing the scalable system to overcome the potential rate-loss limits inherent in classical security-weakened blockchains.

We benchmark constrained-path Monte Carlo (CPMC) on the triangular-lattice Hubbard model for several fillings and $U$ values and show that symmetry-adapted trial wave functions substantially improve quantitative accuracy. Away from half-filling, simple free-electron-based trials that preserve the ground state symmetry yield energy deviations $\lesssim 1\%$ from exact diagonalization and density matrix renormalization group results. At half-filling, strong frustration in the intermediate to large $U$ regimes necessitates symmetry-projected trials to reach comparable accuracy, where both free-electron and symmetry-broken Hartree-Fock trials incur substantial constraint bias. Since the computational cost of CPMC with symmetry projection scales polynomially with system size, our results motivate its use as a practical route for studying competing ground states in strongly correlated, frustrated systems.

Accurately simulating extended periodic systems is a central challenge in condensed matter physics. Neural quantum states (NQS) offer expressive wavefunctions for this task but face issues with scalability. In this work, we successfully extend the neural network backflow (NNBF) approach to ab-initio solid-state materials. Building on our scalable optimization framework for molecules [Liu et al., PRB 112, 155162 (2025)], we introduce a two-stage pruning strategy to manage the massive configuration space expansions: by utilizing a computationally cheap, physics-informed importance proxy, we devote exact NNBF amplitude evaluations solely to the most relevant determinants, significantly improving optimization efficiency, energy estimation, and convergence. Our framework achieves state-of-the-art accuracy across diverse solid-state benchmarks. For 1D hydrogen chains, NNBF matches or surpasses DMRG and AFQMC, remains robust in strongly correlated bond-breaking regimes where coupled-cluster methods fail, and smoothly extrapolates to the thermodynamic limit. We further demonstrate its scalability by computing ground-state potential energy curves for 2D graphene and 3D silicon. Finally, ablation studies validate the computational savings of our pruning strategy and highlight the dependence of the NNBF energies on basis sets.

Projection games constitute an important class of nonlocal games where, for any answer from the first player, there is a unique correct answer for the second player. This class of games captures nonlocal games arising from constraint satisfaction problems, oracularisations, and unique games. However, due to the asymmetry between the players, projection games are in general not synchronous, and therefore the powerful results constraining the structure of almost perfect strategies for synchronous games do not apply. In this work, we adapt results of Marrakchi and de la Salle for synchronous games to show that, in both the quantum and commuting-operator models, any strategy that wins with probability $1-\varepsilon$ in a projection game gives rise to a tracial strategy that wins with probability $1-O((L\varepsilon)^{1/4})$, where $L$ is the inverse of the minimal conditional probability of a question for the second player being sampled given a question to the first. For constraint system games, this strengthens the rounding result of Paddock by eliminating the dependence on number of constraints and improving the dependence on constraint size, while also generalising to the commuting-operator setting.

Cardinality-constrained binary optimization is a fundamental computational primitive with broad applications in machine learning, finance, and scientific computing. In this work, we introduce a Grover-based quantum algorithm that exploits the structure of the fixed-cardinality feasible subspace under a natural promise on solution existence. For quadratic objectives, our approach achieves ${O}\left(\sqrt{\frac{\binom{n}{k}}{{M}}}\right)$ Grover rotations for any fixed cardinality $k$ and degeneracy of the optima $M$, yielding an exponential reduction in the number of Grover iterations compared with unstructured search over $\{0,1\}^n$. Building on this result, we develop a hybrid classical–quantum framework based on the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) algorithm. The proposed framework is guaranteed to output an $\epsilon$-approximate solution with a consistency tolerance $\epsilon + \delta$ using at most $ {O}\left(\sqrt{\binom{n}{k}}\frac{n^{6}k^{3/2} }{ \sqrt{M}\epsilon^2 \delta }\right)$ queries to a quadratic oracle, together with ${O}\left(\frac{n^{6}k^{3/2}}{\epsilon^2\delta}\right)$ classical overhead. Overall, our method suggests a practical use of quantum resources and demonstrates an exponential improvements over existing Grover-based approaches in certain parameter regimes, thereby paving the way toward quantum advantage in constrained binary optimization.

Spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC) has been considered as a reliable source of high- dimensional entangled states in orbital angular momentum (OAM) basis. In real-world experiments, the spatial walk-off of the pump often degrades the fidelity of the generated quantum state. Since the walk-off effect breaks the rotational symmetry of the system, the conservation of total OAM is violated. Although the compensation of walk-off effects has become a well-established experimental technique, a systematic modal analysis of the spatial walk-off effect is still incomplete for SPDC. Here, we quantitatively analyze the violation of OAM conservation due to the pump walk-off effect in SPDC processes. We have derived a scaling law of the total OAM distribution with respect to the pump walk-off angle. We have also explored the feasibility of using the spatial walk-off as a mechanism to engineer the generated quantum state. Our study has provided guidelines for the generation of OAM-entangled state under realistic experimental conditions.